William a



(ModeL) W. A.. LORENZ. H

' TYPE SETTING MAGHINE.

Patented July 19, I881.

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. To all whom it may concern UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE. I

WILIlIAM LORENZ, or BROOKLY NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE .AssIeNMnNT, T0 EDWARD N. DIOKERSON, TRUSTEE.

TYPE-SETTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,634, dated July 19, 1881. Application filed May as, 1881. (Model.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. LORENZ, of the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Type-Settin g Machines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in type-settin g machines.

In the ordinary process of composing, a number of boxes, each containing loose type of a particular denomination, are arranged before the operator. The operator, in composing, is obliged, in the first place, by means of his eye, to select the proper box. A type lying loose in a box containing numbers of others is picked up by the operator in whatever position it hap pens to lie, perhaps reversed or upside down. It is necessary, in order to place the type properly in the composing-stick, that the operator turn it so as to bring its face uppermost and all the nicks on the same side of the row. This is also evidently a necessity where the type and spaces are to be distributed by a distributing-machine which depends upon notches in the edge of a type for its selection of that type.- The operation of type-settin g by hand is'therefore necessarily very slow and difficult, requiring great experience and long practice.

My invention relates to a machine which is intended to obviate or lessen these difficulties.

.One of the objects ofmy invention is to render the use of the eye in seizing the type unnecessary.

It is expected that those who are accustomed to the use of these machines will be enabled- The nature of my invention is clearly shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which Fig- -W and 'X, Fig. V.)

I are I represents a general view of my apparatus; Fig. II, a front elevation; Figs. III and,

IV, two views of the bottom of the reservoir or channel; and Fig. V, a detailed view of the pusher, showing a row of type resting upon it.

The same letters indicate similar parts in all the drawings.

A series ofsimilar machines is placed in one ormore banks before the operator, each one holding one denomination of type or space.

B is'the frame of the machine, upon which the other parts are supported.

In the frame B is a reservoir or channel, A, holding a row of type, 0., face out, and preferably side upon side, which, by their own weight and by that of a superincumbent slug, D, are kept continually upon the bottom E of the channel. Covering the lower part of this channel is a guard, L, under which the type necessarily pass in their journey downward. An opening, M, is cut in this guard L opposite the lowest type, C, in the channel, large enough to allow the passage of that type.

Near the bottom E of the channel A is cut a slot, F, (shown in Figs. III and IV,) for the admission of a pusher, hereinafter to be described. This slot is cut through to the bottom of the channel at H, to allow the channel A to be removed, which otherwise the end of the pusher would look, and down through the frame at'G, for the escape of dirt. Through this slot the pusher T, which is one of the important parts of my invention, operates. The upper end of this pusher has two faces at right anglesto each other. (Represented at The width of W, which extends above and beyond the intersection of the line of X, is almost or exactly equal to the thickness of the particular type which is hereused. The faces W and X do not exactly meet, but there is a groove, Y, between them, (shown clearly in Fig. V,) the object of which is to receive any dirt which may drop from the type; otherwise this dirt, accumulating in a square corner, would alter the height of W by raising the lower end of the type, and might raise the lower end of a thin type so high that the pusher T could pass beneath it without forcing it forward. This is found to be important in practice. This pusher T is actuated by a system of levers, R, S, and P. (Clearly shown in the drawings.)

. Above and below the lowest type in the channel is a pair of finger-pieces, J and K, both of which may be movable; but I prefer to have one stationary and the other movable. In the drawings, K is firmly fixed to the apparatus. J is movable, and is connected with the bellcrank P, which operates the system of levers above described. These finger-pieces are cut and grooved conveniently for the passage of the type and for the reception of the thumb and finger of the operator. Channels K and O are cut in the center of the adjacent faces of each finger-piece, so that when the fingerpieces are brought together these channels unite and form a closed slot or guide, allowing the passage of the bottom type and the following pusher. Toward the ends of K and J the channels are out completely through into the bottom of the exterior finger-grooves previously described, as shown at O and K Fig. II, which allows of the ready seizure of the advancing type by the closing fingers of the operator. These finger-pieces, the vibration of which operates the mechanism, serve to guide the type in its upward passagethrough the slot cut in them, and also bymeans of the grooves cut in their exterior faces guide the fingers t0 the type which has been forced forward by the pusher T and guided by the slots in the closed finger-pieces.

The action of the machineis as follows: Type passing down the channel under the guard L rest against the bottom E of the type-channel A. The operator now seizes the finger-pieces K and J between his thumb and finger and presses them together. The approach of J to K actuates the pusher T, which pushes forward the lowest type, 0, through the channels K and O, which have now become a guide for the passage of the type and pusher by the union of the two finger-pieces. The type therefore is placed between the fingers of the operator, who removes it. Then the springs T and V return the apparatus to its former position. The pusher T, which in its advanced position served to support the type, being now withdrawn, the row of type slides down the channel A and the next type rests upon the bottom E, ready to be thrown out by the pusher.

The position in which the type is left between the fingers may be varied by altering the relative length and position of the levers.

The office of the spring T is to cause the pusher T to rest against the lowest type, no matter in what position it may be, so that any accumulation of dirt on the bottom of the frame or channel would not interfere with the action.

of the machine, since thepusher would be raised by the spring T and rest with its face Xagainst the bottom type, no matter what the position of the type might be within narrow limits.

It is obvious that this machine can be arranged to throw out any number of type at one movement, depending upon the height of the opening M in the guard, the height of the slot in the finger-piece, and the height ofthe pusher at W.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the vibrating channeled finger-pieces Kand J ,which,when united, form a guiding-slot, substantially as described.

2. The self-adjusting pusher T, held continually by a spring or its equivalent against the bottom type of a row, provided with the projection W for the purpose of ejecting a type, substantially as described, in combination with the type-guiding finger-pieces by which it is operated.

3. The two-faced pusher T, provided with the groove Y between its faces W and X, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for elevating type, the combination of abell-crank adapted tobe moved by the fingers, a link,'a pivoted lever, and a WVILLIAM A. LORENZ.

Witnesses E. N. DIGKERSON, Jr., SAMUEL W. GREEN.

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